Women in Sport Cracking the Code

On International Women’s Day we at the NBL, not just today but every day, celebrate and push to crack the code of a gender equal future.

NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger spoke on the significance of female figures in the organisation, and how much growth he has seen in his time at the NBL. He also added International Women’s Day provides the league a moment to highlight the immense contributions women have made at the league.

“It’s an opportunity for us to reflect on how many wonderful women work in our organisation and have an impact on what it is that we do every single day,” Loeliger said.

“It’s a good reminder of just how many high calibre women work in sport every day.

“I’ve been at the NBL for eight years now, and certainly the proportion of women working within our organisation has really increased.

“Women in significant roles throughout the sporting industry has become much more prominent.”  

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Loeliger also emphasised the importance of bringing a different perspective to the league and cracking the code of women in sport is always a priority in growing the NBL.

A turning point for women in the Australian sporting world was the introduction of AFLW according to Loeliger.  

“A really significant point in time was the AFLW, because of the fact that it always had such a perception of being a men’s sport and it was part of the cultural fabric of Australia for such a long time,” he said.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Today we celebrate International Women’s Day, and the accomplishments and contributions of women around the world.<br><br>We also acknowledge the incredible women that play basketball, and those that work &amp; volunteer in the NBL, NBL1 and 3x3 communities. <a href="https://t.co/zQnkeSVCsO">pic.twitter.com/zQnkeSVCsO</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1633225946571612160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Speaking on the Under The Surface podcast, AFLW and NBL1 dual-athlete Monique Conti added, “We’ve come a long way but I really think we’ve got so much work to do and we need the right people to support us in that as well.

“We do have really strong talented female athletes coming through trying to create a path and trying to make a statement for female athletes everywhere, so we need the respect that we deserve.”

A significant female figure within the NBL, Manager of Government Relations, Kristen Penny, reiterated the responsibility of being a woman in sport, signifying the growth of female leaders.

“There’s an opportunity for all of us, women in sport, to be leaders,” Penny said.

“By being a woman in the sporting industry, it’s a major opportunity for us to take some steps to make it better. Whether it’s playing or being in the administration side.

“There is so much opportunity and growth for women in sport.”